Radiance Broken
by Sabrefox
Summary: Rain poured down from the heavens, soaking both beast and rider as they sped across town. She clutched onto the beast's fur, groaning with her eyes closed all the while, as if her very life depended on it. And in more ways than one, it did.


This is a retelling of a story sequence in the Twilight Princess. If you've played the game, you'll know which one it is. Not sure if it's the most accurate thing, but, eh, it's all for flavor anyway. I don't even know why I wrote this, but there you go.

I hope you like it. I would love to hear from you; if you feel so inclined, please drop a review!

* * *

 **RADIANCE BROKEN**

The season of summer in Hyrule was known for its balmy temperatures and passive weather. This evening was an exception to the rule; as the sun set and night fell, the darkened clouds saw fit to unleash their full fury upon the lands below.

A roar of thunder echoed across the fields, accompanied by curtains of water pouring down from the heavens. Such a display of power drove most people into their homes, keeping them from becoming as drenched as the beast that travelled across Castle Town. The four-legged creature leapt from one rooftop to the next, never stopping, never catching his breath. There was no time for breaks.

True enough, his thick grey coat of fur shielded him from the rainfall to some degree, though with this kind of downpour, it just didn't provide any meaningful benefit.

A flash of white briefly illuminated the area, revealing his features and hiding them again just as swiftly. It was a wolf, and a massive one, at that. His eyes were of a deep, wild azure, and the fur on his head had unusual green-colored markings. Stranger still was the cuff and chain locked to one of his front legs – though the chain was broken and quite short, it rattled along with its wearer's movements.

On any other night, the blue-eyed beast would seek shelter in a storm like this, just as the citizens of Castle Town did. Ordinarily, he would not have neglected his personal state of being so much – he was drenched, cold and tired, each jump further straining his aching legs. But he simply didn't care, for on the wolf's back, there was another creature.

It was a small black thing, resembling a feminine humanoid, about as big as the wolf's head. She was made of the shadows themselves – she did not cast one herself, and her body was supposed to be dark and transparent. But she seemed pale. Too pale. The affliction was getting worse.

She clutched onto the beast's fur, groaning with her eyes closed all the while, as if her very life depended on it. And in more ways than one, it did.

"Link," she stammered, but the wolf ignored her.

There, not too far away, he could see it: the tower of Hyrule Castle. The one person who would know what was wrong with his friend – and how to make it right again – should be there.

The massive animal known as Link ascended from the rooftops to the castle wall. Though his dark coat allowed him to maintain an impressive level of stealth at night, his careless advance led to him being spotted by a lone bystander on the ground. The man let out a terrified scream and sped away in the opposite general direction. Link tuned out the sound, instead focusing only on the shallow breathing just behind his own ears. His friend – Midna – was holding out for now, if only barely.

A handful of torches lined the battlements of the castle wall. Every single one of them had gone out, presumably drowned in torrents of water. Well-armed guards patrolled the area – fewer than usual, Link noted. Unlike Castle Town's lazy drunks calling themselves soldiers, the royal guard were not to be trifled with. One of them made his way over to the wolf's location to investigate the yell from moments ago. Link, however, fully intended to be gone by the time the guard arrived. The lack of light would make this task easier.

Some segments of the main building came close to the wall – a distance he could cover. With a running start, he leapt onto a balcony, knocking a potted plant out of the way, accidentally shattering the carefully crafted ceramics. From there, he dashed through an open door, entering the tower itself. Avoiding contact with anyone and anything, the Hero of Twilight ran through corridors of stone and climbed stairwells beyond count, never stopping, never catching his breath. There was no time for breaks.

Finally, the beast sped through a set of double doors and skidded to a halt on the carpet, nearly throwing his burden off his back.

The room, while not quite devoid of decorations, did not appear too inviting. Lifeless grey bricks made up the walls, the rainstorm outside pounding against two large glass windows. The only furniture of note was an impressively stocked bookshelf in the corner, right next to a neatly organized desk. A single flickering torch on one wall illuminated the area, revealing a lone figure standing in the corner.

She was clad in dark grey robes, a purple cloth covering the bottom half of her face. Her eyes stared intently at the monster that had just barged into her room. Oddly, she did not appear surprised, instead relieved, as if she had been waiting for their arrival. She was Princess Zelda, the rightful heir to the throne of Hyrule. Circumstance had not been kind to her, however.

Link crouched down and allowed the soaked and shivering form to gently slide off his back, onto the soft wool below. The cloaked woman approached them, not the least bit fazed by the presence of the dire wolf. The two – animal and princess – exchanged looks, the latter smiling softly as her gaze locked onto the lupine's deep blue eyes. There was intelligence and might hidden behind those azure orbs. She was one of the few who could see him for what he really was.

A soft cough coming from the floor between them broke her reverie, and in response she placed a gloved hand on the face of his friend, Midna.

Silence reigned for several moments, the howling weather outside being the only thing one could hear. Link could not stand it. He wanted Zelda to do something, _anything_.

"Please tell me… How do we break… the curse on this one?" Midna began.

The Hero was dumbstruck. No! No, that was not- he was not important! That's not why they were here!

"This… is the one… You need him to save your world!"

Link growled in annoyance, she should save her strength, but she continued. "That's why… Princess… You must help Link…"

The robed princess moved her hand and placed it on the wolf's forehead. He did not resist, but tensed up as he felt a strange energy creep through his veins. The symbol of the Triforce appeared on the back of Zelda's hand, glowing warmly even through the white glove that covered her hand. The same marking, comprised of three triangles arranged to form a larger triangle together, began to shine on Link's forehead, just above his azure eyes.

Her gaze then went back to Midna. "What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power," she stated.

Link already knew that. Or at least, he thought he did. The ruler of the Twilight Realm, Zant, had cast this curse upon them, leaving Midna with her affliction and locking Link in this beastly shape. But he still didn't care. _She_ was the one who mattered, focus on _her_ already!

Zelda, seemingly oblivious of the Hero's perceived peril, continued. "Our world is one of balance. Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil."

"Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages… the Master Sword."

The Hero ceased his panicking and instead pondered this for a moment. Finally, he understood where this was going.

"The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Dark energy cloaks you like a veil… and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it."

Link thought he saw a smile creep onto the Princess' face. It was difficult to discern because of the cloth, but his sharp canine senses pierced through the cover. Or was it a sad frown?

"Link… Hero sent by the goddesses… Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses…" To prove her point, she held up her hand again, the Triforce of Wisdom glowing gently.

In that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle clicked in Link's mind. He was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, chosen by the goddesses themselves to banish evil. To dethrone Zant. To destroy the one who misused the Triforce of Power. To break the connection with the Twilight Realm that loomed ever closer.

It all made sense. Together with Midna, they would make everything right again. This Master Sword would allow him to remove this curse, returning him to his normal human form. But what about…

Midna decided to interrupt. "Fine, Link… You can… You can get to the woods… on your own, right?" She paused, and coughed. "Princess… I have one last request."

And the peace that Link had felt in his realization was shattered. Were it not for the fact that his lupine face was incapable of displaying most human emotions, he would have been gaping. Was that the end, then? Was his journey to the castle all for naught?

"Can you tell him… where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"

Damn it, Midna, no! She was supposed to stay with him! They had been through so much together already…

Zelda gasped at the small creature's words and stared at Midna's pleading face for an eternity or two. The Hero did not understand at all.

Then her eyes twinkled, she lowered the cloth covering her mouth, and she smiled – for real this time.

"Midna… I believe I understand now just who and what you are… Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead. These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty."

She glanced at Link, who tilted his head in a show of curiosity.

"Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you."

Her hand touched with Midna's, and a gentle golden glow began to form, outlining the princess. The same brilliant radiance enveloped the smaller dark form and began to grow in strength.

Midna gasped, and the blue-eyed beast took a few steps back.

"No! Link! _Stop her!_ " she shouted, as Zelda began to shine brightly.

The Hero of Twilight did not know what to do. Here was his friend, the only partner he confided with in his adventures, being lifted off the ground and gifted some manner of light from Princess Zelda herself. He knew very little about magic. Was he supposed to pick sides? Was he supposed to intervene?

Princess Zelda seemed to be pouring her very essence into the helpless creature of shadows. She began to fade, while Midna's form was cleansed of the pale affliction that stirred within her.

Link was forced to avert his eyes; the golden light was too strong. A few moments later, the radiance dissipated, and Midna was gently lowered back to the ground by an unseen force. When the lupine looked back, Zelda was no longer there. She had just vanished. But Midna, on the other hand… she was still there, appearing… more real, as it were, than usual. She was no longer a shadow, as she had always been, but rather a solid black color with white accents and patterns.

Both took a few moments to register the events that had just transpired, then they exchanged a sad look. Link glanced around the room, but the Princess of Hyrule was nowhere to be found.

Midna felt a terrible guilt, knowing that Zelda had seen in her what she really was – the Twilight Princess, the one who should be in Zant's place. She vowed to tell Link, when the time was right. Now did not seem like the best moment. She didn't even feel like breaking the tense atmosphere with a sarcastic remark like she usually would.

Instead, she opted to clamber onto the wolf, and patted him on the back. It was meant as a reassuring gesture, but for whom it was intended, she was not sure.

"We go back, Link. Back to Faron Woods!"

As the massive canine turned to leave through the double doors he came from, the Twilight Princess looked behind her and melancholically eyed the large windows. The thunderstorm was still going strong outside.

"Zelda… I've taken all that you had to give… though I did not want it…" she mumbled. The canine's sensitive ears easily picked up the comment, and he glanced back, making eye contact with Midna. She put on an awkward smile and nodded. He decided he would ask her about that later.

But now, they had a lead to follow and a world to save. First, get to the Master Sword. The Hero of Twilight's gaze returned to its usual cold, calculating nature, as his resolve hardened.

With that thought, the divine beast dashed off and sprinted back into the bowels of the castle, never stopping, never catching his breath. There was no time for breaks.


End file.
